Major League Baseball (NEW YORK) -- Japan's Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles have decided to post highly touted pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, announcing on Wednesday that they are prepared to let him leave the team.

Rakuten Eagles president Yozo Tachibana said in a statement last week that the team would not allow Tanaka to leave, but it looks like the right-hander will be made available to all 30 MLB teams through the posting system.

The 25-year-old Tanaka went 24-0 for Rakuten last season with a 1.27 ERA.

The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs are among the teams expected to bid for his services.

Tanaka has recently stated his desire to play in the United States, but Rakuten has done everything in its power to convince him to stay in Japan.

Under the rules of a three-year agreement announced Dec. 16 between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball, a Japanese club can make players available between Nov. 1 and Feb. 1, and may set a price of up to $20 million.